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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25514245">The Aviary</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PailetteHazel/pseuds/PailetteHazel'>PailetteHazel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chronicles of a Hopeful Few [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons &amp; Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birds, Delearys is like 12 btw, Foreshadowing and angst, Gen, I speak in metaphors and metaphors only folks, Mother-Daughter Relationship, childhood fic, dont like the pacing much but oh well</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:09:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25514245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PailetteHazel/pseuds/PailetteHazel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Janeirys, Lady of Aderyn, takes her daughter to the palace aviary and gives her advice.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Delearys of Aderyn &amp; Janeirys of Aderyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chronicles of a Hopeful Few [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631809</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Aviary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining upon the feathers of a simply brown and black dotted bird. It tweeted happily to the other birds hidden in the garden. </p><p>“Delearys?” </p><p>The song was disturbed by a calling voice, and the bird flew off. Below the branches, on a well kept path, an elven woman walked. She was wearing a beautiful green dress and a dark green scarf that covered most of her head.</p><p>“I’m here, mom!“ Another voice replied. “I saw something moving in the bushes, I think it’s a hedgehog!” “Get back here.” The noblewoman scolded her daughter. A girl with a similar colored green dress and fiery red hair appeared with a sigh, then dashed back to walk next to her mother. “A lady shouldn’t make her dress dirty by rummaging around.” “I’m not even wearing one of my fancier ones.” The girl softly protested, taking a bit of fabric between her fingers in a slight mockery of her mother's posture. “Delearys.” “I’m sorry mom.”</p><p>The lady of Aderyn and her daughter continued their walk through the gardens, until they arrived at a decorated small building, partially made of glass. As the two of them entered the small building, Delearys immediately noticed the bright colors of a blue parrot, staring right at her. The girl grinned back at it, and the bird squeaked at her before stretching its wings and flying to a place further away from the intruders. </p><p>The noblewoman sat down on a stone bench in the middle of the aviary, checked if nobody was around, and raised her hands to undo her headscarf. </p><p>Delearys watched in fascination as the sunbeams filtered by the glass shone upon the always concealed blonde locks of hair. It was short: much shorter than Father's or aunt Dinah's or Uncle Cain's. </p><p>"Why do you always wear the headscarf?" The girl wondered as she joined her mother on the bench. Her mother gave her a small frown. Yet she seemed.. softer, without the dark fabric framing her face. "That's not very polite to ask." "Oh… I'm sorry mom." </p><p>Delearys tore her gaze away, back to the colorful birds on the sticks and branches and inside the small bits of foliage. Her mother moved slightly. "Open your hand." As Delearys did so, her mother dropped a little pile of grains in her palm. "Now raise it." </p><p>As soon as the birds noticed the sound of food, they curiously came closer. One of them gathered enough courage to fly down. Its tiny claws dug into the girl's hand, and the pecking beak hurt as well, but she was careful not to move and scare the beautiful creature away. </p><p>"Very good, don't move now." The lady reminded Delearys. But the girl didn't need a reminder, she looked at the colorful birds that came to eat in awe. After the first one, more came: not only on the girl's hand but on the ground around her, where her mother had scattered some seeds as well.</p><p>"Do you know why this Aviary was built, Delearys?" The girl looked at the hungry birds, then back at her mother. "To keep the birds from flying away?" "Not quite." The noble woman remarked, and smiled softly. "The Aviary was built to protect them. Those birds are rare and very precious. If they would fly around freely outside, they would not get fed, and they would not be protected from foxes and cats." </p><p>"I see." Delearys muttered in understanding. Her mother looked aside, and sighed. The headscarf is like a tool, that helps me to stay close to you and your father. And the family is like this Aviary: it protects me." </p><p>The elven woman closed her eyes for a moment, then turned to her daughter. "It is very important that you remember and use the name of your family, Delearys. It will protect you against all kinds of trouble." </p><p>The girl frowned. "What do you mean? I don't understand." "If you are part of the Aderyn family, people will respect you." The woman said. "If someone is mean to you, just state your name. Let me hear it!" </p><p>The girl took a breath and spoke, still a bit unsure. "I'm... Delearys of Aderyn..?"<br/>
"Try it again, with more confidence. That didn't sound very convincing." Her mother encouraged her with a slight tease. "Who are you?" </p><p>Delearys grinned, and called out to all the colorful birds in the aviary with the most confidence she could gather.</p><p>"My name is Delearys of Aderyn!!"</p>
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